One Last Favour
by Durinsboys
Summary: The original ending I had planned for my Hobbit fic 'Auburn Fire' before my best friend ordered me to change it. You'll see why. Rated M like 'Auburn Fire' just to be on the safe side because it's a wee bit gross. Kiliel and angsty. Might want to read 'Auburn Fire' first but it does sort of work as a standalone one shot.


The sound of the drums seemed to vibrate every nerve in Kili's body as he looked out over the massing orc army. Glancing to his left, Kili saw Tauriel's jaw clench as she looked out over the angry, writhing mass of hideous twisted bodies.

Winking at her cheekily, Kili nodded back towards a clump of trees not far away. Kili turned, patting his brother on the arm as he went, and strode towards the trees. He didn't even have to look back to check Tauriel was following him, he knew she would.

Perching on a boulder, Kili looked up at his lover and smiled nervously, trying to ignore the tide of anxiety that he was drowning in. Here, away from the rest of the warriors and his brother and uncle, Kili allowed his real feelings to show. Tauriel saw his mock bravery vanish in an instant and instead saw the nervous young dwarf he truly was.

Reaching out, Tauriel let her hand stroke the line of his jaw and smiled at him reassuringly, realising quickly that this would be the biggest fight Kili would ever be in.

"Here, it'll help keep you safe." Kili pressed his rune stone into Tauriel's hand with a wry smile.

"What makes you think I need protection?" She replied with a cheeky wink, blushing slightly as he raised his eyebrow at her flirtatiously.

"Just stay safe my love." Kili murmured affectionately, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before returning to Fili's side.

Tauriel waited for a few minutes, stroking the rune stone as she thought about her plan of action for the upcoming battle. Giving the stone a quick kiss for luck, Tauriel hid it in her clothes and returned to join the others.

Tauriel held her dying lover in her arms, sobbing violently as she struggled to cope with the knowledge that was running through her mind on repeat.

She couldn't save him. She wasn't strong enough. He was going to die and all she could do was watch. For the first time in her life Tauriel had set herself a goal that she would not achieve. And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

Stroking his pale and sweaty face Tauriel forced herself not to think of the last time she saw him like this. When he had been poisoned by a Morgul shaft and had almost died. She had saved him then, but now, with his guts trailing across the battlefield, she knew there would be no happy ending. Trying to make him as comfortable as possible, she used every ounce of self-control she had to smile at him encouragingly. She could feel her facial muscles straining to grimace at the hideous smell that was invading her senses from the gore and terror of the ongoing battle.

"Tauriel." He whispered, forcing his eyes open to look at her. She could see him straining to see her and knew that his eyesight was failing him as his body began to shut down. Knowing these could be his last few moments; she gathered her strength and forced herself to hold it together, for his sake if nothing else.

"Yes my love, I'm here. Everything will be ok."

"Fili... Thorin?"

She could scarcely hear his breath now and, knowing that it would all be over soon, decided now was the time for a comforting lie and not the horrendous truth.

"They're fine and you will be too. I love you and I'm going to make sure you're ok." Ignoring the head of Fili staring at her vacantly from beside her and the dying Thorin deliriously moaning at Bilbo from his bed of pain, Tauriel tried to hold her lover as close as she could to her body without causing him further pain.

"I need you… just one more thing… please…" Kili was barely holding onto consciousness now and Tauriel knew this would be the last thing he ever said to her.

"Yes love, anything. What is it?"

"One last favour."

"Yes? Kili?"

"… Say sorry to ma. Not gonna make it home after all. Sorry…" His eyes rolled back and he struggled for breath. Tauriel stroked his heart and tried to fight the tears that were running down her face like a tsunami.

"Its ok love, I'll tell her…" She broke off, unable to come to terms with the fact that this was really it. She had never really been able to paint a picture of their future together; she hadn't really had enough time to think about it. But she'd known as soon as she'd saved his life that night in Laketown that her path was inextricably linked to his.

"Love you. Go… I'll be there… in the stars… look after you… not that you need it…" He smiled at her and then she watched as the light left his eyes and the smile froze on his face.

She howled with the agony of his passing and held his lifeless, broken body in her arms, inconsolable and alone in the centre of chaos and destruction.

Taking a deep breath, Tauriel clutched the rune stone for strength and tried to quell the storm raging inside her. It had taken her long days of journeying but she was finally here to fulfil her promise.

"One last favour."

She could hear the words now as if he was stood right next to her. The agony in his voice made it sound as though he felt that he was asking too much of her and it seemed to mock her now as she stood motionless in front of the door.

Behind her was the rest of the company of Thorin Oakenshield, stood patiently waiting for her to knock. They had agreed to take her with them and let her break the news after seeing how distraught she was. They knew how much Kili had meant to her and, despite her race, respected her enough to allow her to be the one to tell Dis.

Kili had never told Tauriel much about his mother. She came up in the odd story of how Kili had gotten into trouble and Fili had gotten out of it. Dis was always there as a comfort at the end, praising Fili and encouraging Kili that one failure did not mean he should never try. Just from hearing him talk about his mother it was clear how much he adored her and Tauriel knew they would have a close relationship.

This made her job all the harder as she stood outside the door.

Swallowing her emotions, Tauriel knocked gently and was startled when it opened immediately to reveal a beautiful dwarf female with long blond hair, just like Fili's. But what shocked Tauriel most of all was to see Kili's eyes staring out at her from beneath a strong brow.

"What is an elf doing outside my door, may I ask?" Dis said, leaning against the doorframe and surveying Tauriel with interest.

"I… I came to tell you…" She stuttered, suddenly unaware of how to proceed. All of her long speeches had fallen out of her head and now she was just left with the unexplainable feeling of anguish that had taken root in her breast.

"Yes?" Dis asked, smiling slightly.

Suddenly tongue tied, Tauriel offered Dis the rune stone. Looking down with interest, Dis' eyes widened as she recognised the stone. Taking it from Tauriel, she held it closely, stroking the runes on it and murmuring to herself in her mother tongue.

"I gave this to my son, to keep him safe. How did an elf come by this?" Dis' tone was angry and Tauriel realised that her lack of speech was incriminating her in the dwarf's eyes.

"He asked me to say sorry… that he wouldn't be home after all… it was his one last favour…" She stopped now, tears flowing freely down her face.

Dis stared at Tauriel, her eyes wide in disbelief. Looking past the elf, Dis saw Balin and the rest of the remaining members of the company stood there, staring at her with a sorrow only a family can know. Blinking, Dis looked into Balin's eyes and gave him a silent pleading look.

"No, she's lying. Tell me… Balin… No, not all of them… No, where are they? Where are my boys? I trusted you to take care of them!" Dis fell to her knees sobbing violently, the love for her children pounding through every inch of her being. She felt as though they had ripped her heart out of her chest with their bare hands. Holding the stone tightly, she began to rock backwards and forwards, moaning with her sorrow.

Tauriel, lost in her shared grief, knelt down next to her lover's mother and offered the dwarf her arms for comfort. Without any hesitation Dis grabbed hold of Tauriel, knowing in her heart, despite her state, that Tauriel was the last living piece of Kili left. She was his heart and if Dis let go of her she felt as though she would have lost everything.


End file.
